Applicants sought for annual paint event

Local service clubs to paint 10-plus homes in September, need applicants by late June

By Shelley Widhalm

Reporter-Herald Staff Writer

Posted:
04/26/2014 12:06:54 PM MDT

When local service clubs take on their annual home-painting project each September, they need two things: residents with a home needing a paint job and volunteers willing to pick up a paintbrush.

The 10 clubs that are part of Paint Our Town are seeking 10 nonprofit organizations and low-income, disabled and needy residents to apply by the end of June to have the exterior of their homes painted. And by Sept. 13, the day of painting, the clubs need at least 10 to 15 volunteers per house, depending on the extent of the preparation and painting work, and another 50 or more to help with supplies and the prep and cleanup work.

"If we have more volunteers, then we'll paint more houses," said Pete Tomassi, project coordinator for Paint Our Town and a member of the Breakfast Optimist Club.

The third-annual all-service-club project will bring together club members, business staffers, community volunteers and youth for a day of painting to help those who cannot afford to do the work or are physically unable. The clubs that are involved include three Kiwanis, three Rotary, two Lions, the Optimists and Sertoma.

This year, the Elks Club and the Loveland Chamber of Commerce are helping with the project.

"Our goal is to get more of the businesses involved," Tomassi said. "For us to grow, we'd like more and more businesses to participate and more people to be involved."

During the first year of the project, 183 community volunteers and service club members painted 10 homes. Last year, 185 volunteers worked on the same number of homes.

Advertisement

The paint for the homes is supplied by area paint companies for the trim, siding and exterior walls.

"You know as a team you're doing something for a family that needs the community to come and rally behind them," Tomassi said.

Once the work is finished, the value of each property will increase and the neighborhood will be improved, said Steven Armfield, publicity chairman of Paint Our Town and a member of the Loveland, Big Thompson Rotary Club.

"Some of (the homeowners) already come out crying when we're done, they're so happy," Armfield said.

For more information about Paint Our Town, go to paintourtown.org. Applications are due June 27 and are available at House of Neighborly Service and the Community Partnership Office.

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The death of actor Leonard Nimoy last week has inspired people to post photos on social media of marked-up five-dollar Canadian banknotes that show former prime minister Wilfrid Laurier transformed to resemble Spock, Nimoy's famous "Star Trek" character. Full Story